A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

Rinse-out conditioners are essential hydrators that soften and smooth hair after cleansing, but the best leave-in conditioners go one step further. They linger, sink into hair follicles, and make a noticeable difference in how hydrated your hair looks. Plus, leave-ins offer a variety of extra benefits when it comes to UV protection and hair-type-specific styling help.

Leave-in conditioners are also absolute miracle workers for the time-starved among us who don't have the extra 15 minutes to wait around in the shower for an intensive hair mask to work its magic — but want to replicate some of the smoothing, deep-conditioning, shine-inducing results of using a mask, nonetheless.

Dimitris Giannetos, a Los Angeles-based hairstylist who regularly works with Camila Cabello and Jasmine Tookes, tells Allure that he loves uses leave-in conditioners when styling clients. "Think of a leave-in conditioner as a balm that kind of does it all," says Giannetos. "It can tame flyaways and add shine — even if the hair is a bit dry or damaged."

When you're shopping for leave-in conditioners, cosmetic chemist Ginger King suggests looking for ingredients like oils, fatty alcohols, and triglycerides that will "smooth the cuticles and keep the hair in place." For detangling in particular, King also notes that quaternium compounds work well, such as quaternium 4, 7, and 11 (look out for ingredient names that start with quaternium or polyquaternium).

With all these criteria in mind, we asked hairstylists to share their picks for the best leave-in conditioners to fulfill your hair hydration needs, and we added a couple of our own favorites, too. 

All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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  • Jan 5, 2022

These Are the 13 Leave-In Conditioners That Will Resurrect Your Curls

If you're lucky enough to be blessed with natural curls, the last thing you want to do is sabotage their spring, shape, and definition with a product lineup that doesn't do them justice. Especially when you're on the hunt for the ultimate leave-in conditioner.

The absolute best leave-in conditioners help detangle, protect, and nourish curly hair, but the wrong formulas can also have the sad effect of being too heavy (aka weighing down your curls), or, on the other hand, not being potent enough to actually revive and enhance your hair's natural texture. We only want the very best for your curls, so we scoured reviews and polled celebrity hairstylists to find out which leave-in conditioners are a match made in heaven for curly hair types. Keep scrolling to see 13 GOAT picks!

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"One of my new favorite discoveries, this leave-in is so lightweight but leaves the hair hydrated and frizz-free. It has a nice density to it, but never weighs down hair—it just clumps it into beautiful, supple curls."—Matthew Collins, celebrity hairstylist

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"I love this detangling leave-in because it's for all curl types so anyone can use it, and it also primes curls to better resist frizz. Use it to seal every strand, fight tangles, and make curls more manageable."—Irinel de León, celebrity hairstylist

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"A non-heavy, daily leave-in conditioner that defines kinks, curls, coils and waves without weighing them down. It's enriched with ingredients like African tulip tree extract and amino acids to help strengthen and nourish curls while still leaving them with lots of vibrant shine."—De León

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"This is a very silky smooth leave-in that provides lots of nourishment while giving great curl enhancement for medium to very curly/coily hair."—Collins

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"This leave-in conditioner is great for curly hair because the brand completely customizes it for you. You have to do an online consultation to get a personalized leave-in that caters to you based on your age, hair texture, length, porosity, density, and even the climate of the location you live. I love that this leave-in detangles, hydrates, and protects hair from heat damage."—Ro Morgan, celebrity hairstylist

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"This leave-in conditioner helps create a balanced, moisturized foundation for your curls before you begin your styling. After you apply, your curls will respond better to any additional products you want to add."—De León

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"This moisturizing and detangling leave-in conditioner is perfect for any and all curl types. It is lightweight, but powerful when it comes to fighting frizz and leaving hair soft and supple. It also speeds up the detangling process."—Morgan

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"When we think about the need to hydrate and moisturize curly hair, we want to find products that will help with elasticity, shine, and treatment, and I have a few go-to's. I love that this product has camellia oil which is high in omegas. And green sea grapes for even more hydration. This product is lightweight and works wonders. I use it on every curl pattern and even non-curly hair, it's that good!"—Marty Harper, celebrity hairstylist

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"This intensive repair treatment is for all my girls working through chemical grow-out, heat damage, or if you need just an extra push of nutrition. A little goes a long way, and the formula contains wheat protein which helps enhance bounce and curl."—Harper

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"Well, I guess I’m going to let you in on my best-kept secret: This leave-in product is beyond for scalp and hair health. It has so many nourishing oils and ingredients like hibiscus, neem, green tea, calendula, sandalwood, and shea butter. It's a great option for anyone seeking, an all-natural clean alternative leave-in conditioner for their strands."—Harper

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"A leave-in conditioner that smells like heaven would be the Kim Kimble Healing Leave-In Conditioner. Not only does it smell great, but it ensures the hair is hydrated from root to tip. This leave-in is great on wavy, curly, and kinky curls. It contains no parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and is safe to use on colored hair. This is definitely a leave-in you want to use to bring curls back to life."—Morgan

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"I love this product because it has the perfect amount of weight and slip to finish freshly styled curls, and it also smells amazing. I love it for softening up a twist out set, but it’s also perfect for resurrecting second-day curls."—Timothy Aylward, celebrity hairstylist

A good leave in conditioner for curly hair

"The holy grail of curl creams, this no-hold hair softener is great for those that want to avoid the crunch while minimizing frizz. It gets extra points because it had the scent of fresh laundry and even leaves your hands smelling clean and soft. I like to apply it to freshly washed hair, roots through ends. You can twist to enhance your natural coils or just shake and air dry, its foolproof ease has led to a cult following."—Aylward

Next: Air-Dry Your Hair Like This, and People Will Think You Spent $200 at the Salon

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What leave

The Best Leave In Conditioner For Curly Hair Problems.
SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Leave In Conditioner..
As I Am Leave in Conditioner..
Camille Rose Naturals Hair Milk..
Pattern Beauty Leave In Conditioner..
Briogeo Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray..

Do leave

Plus, if you've got frizz-prone locks, using a leave-in conditioner before applying a cocktail of curl cream and/or curly hair gel can help smooth your spirals into bouncy, healthy ringlets. It's no secret that curly hair is naturally dry, so priming your brittle locks with this oil-rich leave-in is a game-changer.

Is leave in conditioner or oil better for curly hair?

Hair Oil. While both leave-in conditioner and hair oil boost the moisture in your hair, hair oil is a much heavier product that's usually recommended for dry and/or curly hair.

Is leave in conditioner good for curly hair everyday?

As a general rule, try applying a leave-in conditioner once a week. If your hair is curly, dry, or damaged, you might want to apply it more frequently.